Sunkissed
by JuliannaNicole
Summary: Sam and Jake are best friends. Always have been, always will be. But when a mysterious, and unknown stallion is found, what will happen? This stallion is terrified, and more importantly, dangerous. Who does this mystery horse belong to, if anyone? A Sake.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Hi guys. I know, like nobody even reads these but I just wanted you to know, that I really hope you like this story. It's in Sam's POV, of course. It's actually a pretty long chapter. And also, the dad isn't married to Brynna yet, and Jake is a little OOC, but I tried my best. There is a liittttllllleee bit of Sake in this chapter, but they don't realize it yet. (; So enough of my spoilers, read it for yourself. And if you like, feel free to comment. (and by the way, it starts off a little boring in the beginning, but just hang in there. Don't think, or judge. Just Listen, or in this case read. –Sarah Dessen) **

_Sunkissed; CHAPTER 1_

"Samantha Anne Forster!" A voice yelled from outside the barn. I used my hand to wipe sweat from my brows, before I walked out. It was ungodly hot in Nevada at this time. I peered out the barn door. I saw my dad, holding the rains to Strawberry.

"Hi," I said. I looked at Strawberry, a little bit shocked. "Why are you riding Strawberry?" Normally, Strawberry belonged to my gram, even though I hardly saw her step foot into the barn. Gram didn't like other people riding Berry, even though she never rode her, anyway. Which, I personally could never understand, even if she didn't seem the outdoorsy type.

He nodded his hello. "Oh, I just got her tacked up for Dallas. He's going to ride her, while we round up the cattle on our property."

I was still a tad shocked. "Gram is letting Dallas ride her?" I said, incredulously. "Wow. He must have bribed her…"

Dad laughed. "Don't worry about it. Even though, he probably did. Anyway, I wanted to know if you're done with the stalls."

Crap! I totally forgot I was supposed to do the stalls! "Oh! Umm…not yet…"

He nodded. "Okay. Well, please hurry up and get that done. Then can you tell Gram I'm with Dallas and Pepper rounding the cattle?"

When I nodded, he smiled, kissed the top of my head, and walked away, whistling. I sighed. I had totally forgotten about mucking out at least ten stalls. Great, and especially in this heat…Oh god, I was going to die!

I skipped back to the barn, and stared at all the work I had to get done. I grabbed a steel pitchfork from the corner, and walked to Ace's stall first. If I was going to get this done, I might as well start in my own horse's stall.

I was halfway through the first stall , when my cell phone rang. I dropped the pitchfork, and grabbed my phone out of my pocket.

"Hello?" I said. I attempted to work one handed. It didn't work so well. I almost hit my head with the pitchfork, and it just barely missed the wall with it. Dad would kill me if that left a mark on the wall!

"Hey. Can you talk?" It was Jen. Jen's musical voice rang through my phone. I was so relieved; I almost dropped my phone into a pile of muck. Thank god, I caught it.

"Umm…I'm just mucking out stalls in about 90 degrees weather. Of course I can talk!" I said, laughing. "It'll be my little excuse to take a break." I leaned up against the barn wall, holding my phone to my ear in one hand, and my pitchfork in another.

I could practically see her sitting in her room, on her blue plaid striped bed. She was most likely rolling her eyes, at me using her to stop working.

"Gee, thanks. I'm so glad I'm loved." She said, mock offended. I laughed again.

"No prob. So what's up?" I asked, trying to change the subject, before she brought up something I would not enjoy. 

I could hear her sigh. "Nothing. Everything is just peachy."

I stared at the phone in my hand. Did she seriously just say 'peachy'? I burst out laughing.

"Seriously, you just said 'peachy'!" I laughed, and leaned against the wall. I could hear her sigh again, but then giggle a little bit. "What's wrong, J?"

"I was just…thinking." She said. I rolled my eyes. She was being super vague. But I was also a little bit concerned.

"And vat vas Madam Jennifer thinking of?" I said, in a Russian accent. I was hoping to get a laugh out of her, but she was silent on the other end. "Oh, come on. My accent wasn't that bad!"

She laughed a little bit. "God, Sam. You are so messed up in the head, right now." I was glad; I made her lighten up a little bit.

"Well…yea. I mean I swear I've already lost like 5 pounds, just by sweating. It's probably affecting my head." I pointed out.

"How is losing weight by sweating affecting your head?" She wondered.

"Umm…I don't know! It's just really hot out!" I sighed as an exaggeration. "And you," I pointed out, "are safe and sound, in your bedroom, with AC."

There was a short pause. "How did you know I was in my bed room? Are you following me, you jealous, jealous girl?"

"No!" I laughed. "Actually…I don't know how I knew you were there. It just figured. And I am not jealous!" I was, though. I was totally jealous of her, inside with AC.

"Oh, just admit it! You are SO jealous of my AC, right now!" She laughed. She knew me way too well.

"No, I'm not!" I said, defensively.

"Whatever you say." She said, laughingly. I was so pleased that I made her feel better, that I forgot about the heat, and work. Well, only for a second, that is.

"Okay, okay. You got me. I am completely jealous of you in your air conditioned room. There I said it!" I said, biting my lip to keep from bursting out laughing. I didn't want anyone to hear me having way too much fun in the barn. They probably thought I was talking to myself. Then again, it's their fault for making me work in 99 degree weather!

"Aha! The truth is out." I could hear her breathing on the other side. We were quiet for a moment.

"So, are you really okay?" I asked. I wished I could take my words back, because she was silent for a couple minutes. "Jen?"

"I have to go." She said, in a low voice. I stared at the phone in my palm, startled. I held it back up to my ear.

"Jen?" I asked, my voice shaking a little bit. I was alarmed with the way she was acting. She hardly ever acted like this. I wondered what was wrong with her.

"Yes?" She asked. "I really do have to go, Sam." She added, quickly.

"You would tell me if something is wrong, right?" I was worried that she wouldn't, but I didn't say so.

"Uhm, yea, of course…"

This was good enough for me. "Okay." I said. "Bye. Call me later."

I put my phone in my pocket again, and was about to start working again, when something jabbed me on the back. Hard.

I yelped, and spun around.

"Jacob Ely! I'm going to hurt you!" I gasped. But he was already gone, running away, down the barn hallway. I took off after him. But he had disappeared. Ugh, I hated it when he snuck up on me. And he knew it, too.

Jake was my best friend. I've known him, since I was practically born. I can always count on him for a laugh…or for him to sneak up on me, and practically give me a heart attack. Oh well…

I scanned the barn for him, but didn't see him. Finally, I sat down on a hay bale. I really needed to finish the stalls. It was getting later, and it was already 5.

Suddenly, a blur came toward me and trapped me underneath its massive, tanned arms.

"JAKE! Get off of me!" I squealed, as he started tickling me. He knew I was defenseless when it came to tickling.

"Vat, vhy would I do that?" he asked, mimicking my Russian accent from before. My eyes widened.

"EAVESDROPPER!" I squealed. I couldn't believe him.

"What was that?" he said, tickling harder. I gasped.

"I-I" I tried talking, but it was almost impossible. "Jake," I gasped, "Can't breathe."

"Whose problem is that, brat?" He said tickling harder. I tried to get up, and I banged my knee on the wall.

"Ow." I said. He finally stopped tickling me. I could feel pretend tears coming to my eyes. He looked uncomfortable. He deserved, what I was going do to him next. He shouldn't eavesdrop on conversations, poke someone in the back, and then tickle them under their will. It just shouldn't be done.

I pretend stood up, and limped. He stood there, staring at me. Then when he was least expecting it, I turned around, and pushed him on the hay bale, so I was trapping him. Of course, he just sat there, knowing he could push me off in an instant. But he didn't do anything.

"AHA." I yelled. "Victory is mine!" He chuckled and shook his head. I was suddenly aware of how close we were. He stared into my eyes, not breaking my gaze. Uncomfortable, I stood up and let him go. "Umm, I should finish the stalls."

He nodded, and watched me grab my pitchfork. "Want to help me finish faster?" I asked, hopeful. He sighed, and took the extra pitchfork I handed him.

"Fine," He muttered.

The weirdness we had earlier was gone. And we got to work together, only finishing when the sun set and the air felt cool.

After I finally finished my chores, I headed into the house and sat on the couch. I put the movie National Velvet into the television. I lounged across the couch, my feet propped up. Gram was taking a bath upstairs, and dad was still on the drive. I was about to get up, and get my worn copy of the book National Velvet to compare the movie and book, when the front door opened.

Jake stepped in.

"Hey." I said. "How was Sunkissed?"

Sunkissed was a new wild horse that Jake was training. She had just shown up at our ranch, with thorns all over her, and was deeply injured. She was a Campolina, a rare breed originally from Brazil. Nobody had any idea how she ended up in Nevada, let alone our ranch. All I knew was that she was beautiful, and really did look "sunkissed."

Jake half-smiled. "Pretty good. She really seems to start trusting people now." I only heard Jake get excited when he was talking about horses.

"By people, do you mean you?" I asked, suspiciously. He chuckled, and I laughed too.

"Yea" I could hear the eagerness in his voice. He was eager to get back on Sunkissed.

I nodded, and turned back to the movie. But Jake was standing right in the middle of the tv.

Annoyance scratched my throat. "Jake. Get your butt out of the way of the tv."

"Why?"He smirked. I glared at him. "Seriously, you've seen this movie at least a hundred times!" He pointed out.

"Yea…I know. And the book is still better." He chuckled. "And, anyway, I'm trying to watch it. And if you're a good boy, there's a coke in the fridge." I said, using my best 'good little boy' voice.

"Ohh! Coke!" He mock squealed, playing along. "But seriously, I'd rather stand right here."

"JAKE." I yelled. "Just go get your dang coke, and let me watch in peace!" I said, annoyed.

He moved lazily into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a coke. I waited until he sat down and said, "I want one."

He didn't look away from the tv. "Get it yourself." He said, watching as the little girl rode her horse. "I never even got this movie." He added.

"No, you get it for me!" I whined. "And it's because you haven't read the book, duh."

After about five minutes of me begging, he finally got up and grabbed me the coke.

"Yay! Thank you, Jakey." I giggled, opening my can.

His eyes narrowed at his nickname. "No problem, BRAT." He said, adding emphasis to the brat. I groaned.

He stood by the couch. "Up." He ordered me. I lifted my legs up, so he could sit down, and then placed them on his lap after he sat. "Ugh."

I giggled, and we watched the movie. I was so tired from all my chores that I slowly began to fall asleep, my head drifting on the couch pillow, and my legs resting on Jake's lap.

**Author's Note:**** So…did you like it? If you read it please review it and give me some feedback. I want to know what you truly thought. I love all feedback, it helps me write stronger. I know Jake was a little OOC, but hey, I kind of like him like that. **

**There was a tad bit of Sake…but they don't realized it. Dun Dun Dun! (; Am I boring you crazy? Or let me guess…you totally skipped this part. LOL it's fine, I skip it sometimes too.**

**OH! And just one more IMPORTANT quick thing! If you are wondering what SUNKISSED looks like or about her breed please click this link: **

**I didn't know what breed to make her, so I researched like exotic breeds, and I instantly fell in love with this horse. It's so pretty. So that picture is what SUNKISSED looks like. I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of her. (; **

**Next chapter coming soon! (;**

**Love, **

**Jul**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:**

**Hi guys. (; So, before you start reading this, I just want to say thank you for the reviews for the last chapter. I'm hoping to get even more for this chapter. I'm sorry I haven't updated, schools been hectic seeing as it just started last week. I woke up early (early for me anyway) and wrote chapter two. So I hope you enjoy it! I know Jen is a little OOC, but you'll understand why once you read this. This whole chapter is in Sam's POV, just so you know. **

**SPOILER: IT'S A CLIFFHANGER. (; But don't you dare scroll all the way down, until you read the entire chapter. (; Okay, I think I've wasted enough of your time. Just enjoy, and review. (Even if you hate it…please review and tell me why you like it/why you didn't. I love con criticism.) ENOY. (;**

_Sunkissed; CHAPTER 2_

The next morning I woke up bright and early. Well…it wasn't necessarily bright, since it was 6 in the morning. I wasn't completely sure how I got up in my bed, because the last I knew I fell asleep on the couch. Dad probably carried me up. I quickly showered, and pulled on jeans and an oversized striped sweatshirt.

Most Nevada days in the summer are freezing, until it gets past noon. Then it gets overly hot. The weather wasn't the only thing acting weird. I called and texted Jen, right before I watched the movie last night, and she never responded. I got her voice mail. That never happens, unless she's in church. And who goes to church on Tuesdays?

I thought of Jen, as I pulled a comb through my shoulder length auburn hair. I put on these little pink flower earrings that my gram bought me for Christmas, my horse hair bracelet, and a friendship bracelet Jen had made. She had a matching one. I wondered what was going on with her, and if she was okay. That thought only lasted a little while, when I heard a knock on my door.

"Samantha? Honey, are you up yet?" Gram's voice came through the door. I left my wet hair down, and opened the door. Gram stood there in a skirt, and butterfly shirt, her hair pulled back in a swift bun.

"Yep, I'm up." I said.

She nodded. "Good. Come on down for some breakfast." I followed her into the small kitchen, where she placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. I ate it quickly, eager to get outside. "What are you going to do today, Sam?"

"Oh. I'm going for a ride with Jen." At least, I thought I was. She hadn't texted me back, but I figured she got the text. She would never pass up the opportunity to go for a ride. Gram nodded, and gave me a soft smile.

"That sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer morning." She said. I know. It was perfect.

"I better get going." I said, standing up. Gram placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Sam, honey, be careful. Okay?" She said, sounding worried. Annoyance flashed through me. I was not a little girl, anymore. It had been two years since my accident, and I was now 15. I didn't need anybody telling me to 'be careful.' I've been riding since I was practically born.

But still, I said through gritted teeth, "Yes, gram." I walked over to the door, and slid my socked feet into the boots that were lying in the corner. Then I pushed open the front door, and breathed in deeply. I wished I dried my hair, because it was freezing out. I shivered.

It was still dark out, but I could see Dad talking to Pepper over by the corral. "Morning, Dad. Morning, Pepper." I said.

Pepper smiled, and Dad said, "Hey, Sam. You're finally up. Seems like you had a big night last night, huh?" He smiled, and I knew he was joking about me falling asleep on the couch.

"Sure did, Dad." I said, grinning right back at him. "Anyway, I'm going for a ride with Jen." I said, fingering the elastic hair band on my left wrist. He nodded, grunted something, and went back to talking to Pepper.

I slowly edged toward the barn. I flicked on the light switch, and walked slowly down the hall. Ace's stall was the very last one on the left. I passed the stall that Sunkissed was temporarily in, and couldn't help staring.

She was just standing there. That's all. But she seemed so peaceful and content after what she had been through. She was a mystery, and nobody knew exactly what she had been through. But we knew whatever happened was bad.

I edged closer. I knew I should leave her alone, because she only really trusted Jake, but she was so captivating. So breath-taking. She stared at me as I approached her stall. She took a step back. I didn't open the stall door, but leaned on it and cooed softly, "Hey, pretty girl. It's okay, don't be afraid."

But she was afraid. She was angry, confused, scared. And she reared in the stall, knocking into her feed buckets. I backed away from the stall, like it was on fire. She ran into the stall door, and I could see the white's of her eyes.

"Sam! Are you okay?" Dad said, running into the barn. He saw me wide-eyed in shock, staring at Sunkissed. "Oh!" He said. Then he put a hand on my arm, and led me away. I was still sort of shocked. How could a horse be that afraid? So afraid and angry that she was willing to hurt herself to get revenge on the people that hurt her.

"Sam." My dad said, bringing my attention back to him. "I don't want you to go near that horse again. He's Jake's responsibility for taming him. He's dangerous. Stay away from him, Sam." He said, gesturing toward the horse that was now glaring at us, viciously.

I slowly nodded, but said, "I know, Dad. But-" I started, but dad held his hand up to stop me.

"No, Samantha. Just please do not go near Sunkissed again, until she is completely tamed. Do you understand?" He said, and waited for me to nod again, before saying, "Okay. Go get Ace, and get ready for your ride.

I was confused. Dad was being completely unfair. How could he not expect me to be at least a little bit curious about this mystery horse?

I unlatched Ace's stall door, and let myself in. He was calmly eating hay, and looked up at me. I couldn't help but smile, as I petted him. I slipped the saddle pad on, then the western saddle. Normally, I brushed him first but I really wanted to get going. I was already a little behind the planned time. I grabbed the bridle, and put it on, making adjustments.

"Come on, boy." I whispered. I led him passed, Pepper and Dad. I overheard (which is totally different than eavesdropping, thank you very much Jake!) dad telling Pepper to call Jake, and tell him to come help calm Sunkissed down.

I put my foot in the stirrup, and swung myself up on Ace. I waved at Pepper and Dad, as we left. "Come on, Ace-y." I said, pushing my heels into his sides. He broke out at a gallop, and we made our way to meet Jen. We had planned to meet on the playa, by the huge tree, where we met often.

I waited for a while, but I didn't see anybody. I was beginning to wonder if she was coming.

"Maybe she's just a little late," I thought.

I reached down into my saddle bag, and took out my cell phone. I texted her, 'Where r u?' 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I saw a misty shadow in a horse appearing. I was so relieved.

"Hey, Jen!" I called out, as she reached me. She smiled, and waved. I looked her over, to make sure she was okay, and saw she was wearing a really pretty, blue shirt that matched her eyes perfectly. When I squinted I could see a small bird on the label. When had she started wearing Hollister clothes? She also wore jean shorts (even though it was freezing out), and gray scrunched up boots that looked like UGG knock-offs. I scanned her wrists for my matching bracelet, and sure enough, she was wearing her matching rainbow friendship bracelet, along with a charm bracelet on the other wrist. Wow, she was definitely more fashion friendly than me. Even though she must be freezing. I'm perfectly fine in my sweatshirt, thank you very much.

"Hi. I'm so sorry, I couldn't leave until I finished breakfast, and then my mom made me do my chores now instead of later." She said, beginning to rant. She sounded fine, back to normal almost.

I laughed. "It's fine. I'm just happy you came." I reached over and petted her horse, Silly, and then gave her a one armed hug. She gratefully returned my hug. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, and I caught a glimpse of blue feather earrings dangling from her ears.

"So what's new with you?" I asked, letting Ace nibble some grass. I glanced back at Jen, since she hadn't responded yet. She looked nervous, and she was staring at the ground. "Hello? Earth to J," I said, moving my hand right in front of her face. I laughed, expecting her to laugh too. She didn't.

Finally, she turned toward me, looking nervous. "Ihavesomethingtotellyou…" She whispered. I couldn't understand her at all, between her not spacing her words, and the fact that she was whispering.

"Wait, what? Say it louder." I said. I shivered, wishing I dried my hair again.

Jen took a deep breath and said, "I…I have something…to tell you…" She said, nervously. She glanced at the ground. Silly could sense her nerves, and shifted underneath her. I rolled my eyes. I figured she had to tell me something, when she started talking.

But I was trying to be patient. "What?" I said impatiently. Well…so much for being patient.

She finally shifted her gaze up to mine. She mouthed something that I couldn't understand.

"What?" I asked again. This was taking up all our riding time. Why couldn't she just spit it out, and we could go? How hard was it to tell me?

"Promise you won't laugh, or get mad?" She said. She tried calming Silly, but it didn't work. Silly could sense something was wrong, and was growing restless.

I was beyond annoyed. What was so bad that she couldn't even tell me, her best friend? "Yes. I promise." I said.

"Okay…" She started, and then paused. She turned her gaze to me, instead of the ground. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Just spit it out!" I said. And finally she did. And when she did, I wished she could take it back in.

"I'm dating Darrel."

**Authors note:**** Oohhh….Cliffhanger! Did you guys like it or no? It's not that much of a shocker, that she's dating him (I've seen loads of fanfics with them together, even though I can hardly believe it.) but it's a shock to Sam. **

**I know I posted this link last chapter, but just in case you didn't see it; **

**That is what Sunkissed looks like. And there is a little bit of info on her breed. (As I mentioned in ch.1 her breed is originally from brazil.) So read up, and get to know her breed. You'll be seeing a lot of her…hence the title. (; So that's enough for now, I'll probably write more tonight or later today. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW. VIRTUAL COOKIES if you review. So review, you know you want some! Thanks! (;**

**Love, Jul (;**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hey, everyone! Thanks for the reviews, I'm hoping to get even more this chapter. Also I'm gonna respond this review:**_

_**xoabbyxo35 Yes, Sunkissed is a girl. I'm so sorry for that little editing mistake last chapter. Thanks to those who caught it. But yeah, Sunkissed is a GIRL. (;**_

_**(; Sorry this chapter is a little bit late, I just got back from a small beach vacation. It was like, horrible though because it stormed the entire visit. Of course! Anyway, this chapter is filled with DRAMA. But there's hardly and Sake, sorry! So, go ahead, read up! (;**_

_Sunkissed Chapter 3_

"You…what?" I gasped, incredulously.

Were we even thinking about the same person? Because the Darrell I knew was rude, arrogant, lazy, annoying, and called everyone 'darlin' which I couldn't stand. So how could he be dating JEN, a sweet, smart girl who loved horses? Darrel didn't even ride horses! He was a city guy!

But one glance at Jen, knew that it was true, and not some prank. She nodded, and glanced back at the ground. Then she smiled, and turned to me. "Really, Sam, you should give him a chance. He's so sweet!"

Sweet? She called him sweet. Sweet is Ace, or Silly. Sweet is sugar or candy. But sweet is most definitely not Darrel! How could they be together? It didn't make any sense…

"Sweet?" I repeated, dumbly. She nodded again, and held out her hand for me to examine.

"Look," She said, gesturing toward her hand. I looked, but I didn't see anything different. Well, besides her nails which were painted a very un-like Jen color, vibrant red? I must have looked confused, because she smiled and said, "My charm bracelet! He gave it to me. Isn't that so nice of him?" 

I looked at her wrist, and saw the silver charm bracelet that I had noticed earlier. It _was_ pretty, but I couldn't imagine Darrel giving a bracelet to anyone. Darrel was the type of guy, who dated a girl one day, and broke up with her the next.

"Oh. Umm…wow," I said. I'm pretty sure I was still in shock. Jen…and Darrel? Suddenly a thought hit me. "When did he ask you out?"

She looked embarrassed. "Remember, you promised you wouldn't get mad." She reminded me. I rolled my eyes, but nodded.

"A week and a half ago, he asked me," She said, staring at the ground again. Her cheeks were red, probably from the cold, and the fact that she was wearing shorts. Wait a second; did she just say a week and a half ago?

"You've been going out with him for a week? You kept a secret from me for a week and a half?" I yelped. I couldn't believe she would keep this from me. She claims she's my best friend, but she keeps a huge secret like her first boyfriend from me! "And a huge secret, at that," I added. I brushed my wet auburn hair from my eyes. My cheeks flushed, and not from the cold, but from anger.

"Sam," She started to say, "I didn't tell you because I wasn't ready. . . I mean, you know Darrel…but I thought you would be happy for me, anyway…"

"Yes, I do know Darrel! And I thought I knew you too, before you lied to me!"

She glared at me. "I didn't lie to you!" She said.

"Oh, right. You just didn't tell me practically your biggest secret of all time. But my bad, that's not lying. It's just not telling me the whole truth!" I said, getting angrier by the second. I knew Darrel better than anyone, since he is Jake's best friend and the three of us hang out a lot. And I knew that he wasn't the right guy for Jen. Jen is so smart, and deserves someone that can match her intelligence! Not Darrel! "And Darrel isn't even good for you! I know him!"

Her eyes bulged from her head. She flicked her blonde, straight hair back, and jammed her glasses up her nose. "Don't you dare tell me what or who is right for me! And you should just be happy I told you now! Really, it's nobody's business but Darrel and me."

"Well, you know it's true! Darrel is…well…Darrel! And I don't want to see you get hurt. You know how he is with girls!" I said, pointedly. I was so angry with her, that I barely felt the tears of anger and sadness overflow my eyes.

"Back off, Sam, you think you know what's right for me, but you don't! Darrel would never hurt me!" She spat out. "And you said you wouldn't get mad!"

"I lied," I said simply, and pushed my heels against Ace's side. "I can't believe you, Jen!"

"Only my friends can call me Jen!" She yelled to my back, as I galloped away, back to the ranch.

I felt the tears slide down my face, as I pushed Ace faster. I figured it was about 7 or 8 since the sun was just rising. I had never, not once, in my life had this bad of a fight with Jen. Sure, we had little bitty fights, but we always ended up laughing them off. And we never ever called each other names.

Even though I wanted my tears to stop, they wouldn't. They just came down harder, until I could barely see. I trusted Ace to take me home, and I let him have most of the rein. I gripped his mane, and buried my face in it.

I was right, about the trusting Ace thing. Ace could get me home from anywhere. I was home within ten minutes.

I slid off Ace, and pulled the reins over his head. Then I tugged, and he followed me into the barn. I pulled him into his stall. Feeling like I was on auto-pilot, I took off the saddle, saddle pad, and bridle. I put the bridle onto the small hook on the wall in his stall.

"Hey, brat," I heard Jake say behind me. I turned, a fresh wave of tears falling. His eyes widened, and he was in the stall in seconds. "Sam, what happened? Are you okay?" He looked really concerned, and too over protective. It annoyed me even more. Now was not the time to handle Jake, my over-protective friend who acts like he's my _dad_, sometimes.

"I'm fine." I said, wiping my eyes quickly. I patted Ace, and scurried out of the stall. "I'm fine!" My voice rose pathetically, as I said this.

Jake grabbed my arm. "Sam," He started.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jake." I said, ripping my arm from his grip. I turned and ran up to the house. I could hear him calling my name, but I couldn't see anything out of my wet eyes.

Once I was safe in the privacy of my room, I sat on my bed, with my knees pulled up to my chest. I let the tears come, not bothering to try and fight them again. I rocked back and forth, and grabbed my oversized stuffed pony, named Blackie. You know, named after my real horse back then?

I had never had a fight like this with Jen before, and especially not over boys. What should I do? Should I apologize? No, I finally decided. She should be the one apologizing to me! She practically lied to me, and didn't tell me basically the biggest secret of her life. We promised we would tell each other right away when we both got boyfriends!

I heard a knock on my door, and instantly I responded, "Go away, Jake." I rubbed my eyes, and hugged my stuffed pony closer to me.

The person outside my door cleared its throat and said, "It's just me, Sam." Oh, it was Gram. Thank God it wasn't Jake, though. I couldn't handle him, right now.

"Oh." I said, my voice sounding weird, and deep. I heard Gram, shuffle closer to the door.

"May I come in?" She asked. Aha! I knew it! She wanted to come in. I sighed, but said yes.

She pushed open my creaky door, and took in my tear-stained face, and me clutching Blackie. She knew I was sad. I always held Blackie when something was wrong.

"Oh, honey…" She said, and I moved my legs, so she could sit across from me. "What's wrong?"

I sniffled, and shrugged. She kissed my forehead, and fingered Blackie's string mane. Then she smiled, and glanced at me. She wiped away a tear, and said, "I remember you used to take this horse around everywhere. Of course, back then you named it Horsie. But once you got older, you changed the name to Blackie. He was the only stuffed animal you took to San Francisco, too."

I rubbed my eyes, and put my head on my grandma's lap. She rubbed my hair, and it spilled over her skirt. "You carried it around everywhere. I'm serious, hon, everywhere. We went out to dinner, and Horsie came, too. We went shopping, and you brought him along. Everyone said how cute you were."

She smiled, and continued. "I don't know if you remember this," She said quietly, "But on the day you're mom died, you were at Jake's house. I remember calling Maxine, and she said you and Jake were playing in the barn. I told her what had happened, and that you needed to come home immediately. I could hear her on the phone, when she told you that your mom had been in an accident. And you did come home, remember? Jake came too. He wouldn't leave you."

I could feel myself getting more choked up. Why did she have to bring this up? It was only making me feel worse.

"I thought that was sweet." She said, untangling a knot in my bright hair. "And, then-"

"_God!_ Gram," I interrupted, "This isn't making me feel better." I said, sniffling. I felt helpless, and I hated feeling like that.

She stopped talking immediately. We sat in silence, for a minute. I sat up, and pulled my now-dry hair into a low ponytail. I grabbed Blackie out of her wrinkled hands, and hugged him close.

"Sorry, Samantha," She said, finally. "Please tell me what's wrong, though," She said, smoothing her hands over her jean skirt. She looked worried. "Was it Jake? He looked upset, today."

"What? No! Of course not, why would you ask that? Everything's fine with me and Jake!" I said, probably too fast.

She raised her eyebrows at me, and said, "Then what_ is_ wrong, sweetheart?" She really looked concerned. I remembered my fight with Jen, vividly in my head, and it brought more tears.

I leaned on Gram's shoulders, and I couldn't help it_; I cried._ _**Hard.**_I hated feeling helpless and hopeless. It just wasn't in my nature. I was born to do things for myself. I've always been independent.

"It's just Jen." I said, against her bony shoulder.

"Did you get in a fight?" She asked. I nodded. "Oh, honey. Jen just needs some time alone, probably. It will be alright soon."

No, it wouldn't. This fight was different than the rest, I wanted to say. But I didn't. I just nodded and said, "I guess. Can I have some time alone?"

"Of course, hon." She kissed me on the cheek, and closed my door on her way out.

I pulled Blackie, close to me and remember the night I heard my mom was dead. Blackie was the only thing left of her. She gave him to me. I did remember it, even if I was only 5.

_-flashback- _

"_Jake! Push me faster." I whined, as I sat on the tire swing in the Ely's barn. _

_He groaned, and complained, "That's not fair! It's my turn now, and you know it!" I grinned, but didn't get off. Just squealed as he pushed me higher and higher, in the hayloft. _

"_Samantha!" Maxine Ely yelled from the house. She was like a second mother to me, and I loved her so much. She worked at the local high school, she was a teacher. _

"_Come on, Jake!" I squealed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the barn. I grabbed Blackie (back then named Horsie) from where he sat on the floor. _

_Together, we ran to the house, where Mrs. Ely was holding the door open. Her face was very pale, and she looked sick._

"_What's wrong, mom?" Jake asked, still holding my hand. _

_Mrs. Ely bent down so that she was eye level with me. She gripped the hand that Jake wasn't holding. _

"_Honey, your mom was in an accident. You need to go home now." She said softly. Jake's grip on my hand tightened and I couldn't move my fingers._

"_Huh?" I asked, stupidly. My mom was fine. I saw her less than an hour ago, before I left. She was going to the grocery store, and she dropped me off at Jake's right before she left. So how could she have got in an accident? No, this was just a joke. The Ely's were known for joking people, and I knew they were pranking me. "Huh?" I asked again. I glanced at Jake, but his expression was blank. I felt panic overcome me. _

_She led me inside, and handed me the phone. "Hello? Samantha?" Gram said, on the other line. I was shocked._

"_Gram?" I asked. I was aware that Jakey was still holding my hand, and that I kind of liked it. But now wasn't the time to think of that. _

"_Sam…we need you to come home okay? There was…an accident. Mrs. Ely will drive you home, alright? Honey?" I stood by the sink, shocked. "Sam?" She asked again, but I couldn't talk. After I while, Mrs. Ely took the phone from my hand, and talked to gram. _

_Then she hung up, and said, "Let's go, Samantha. I'm going to drive you over to your house." Her eyes were misty, and it scared me. I have never ever seen Mrs. Ely get so upset. "Jake, I'll be home soon. Bryan and Nate are home if you need them." She began to lead me out, but I turned to look at Jake. His expression was still blank._

_I knew what he was thinking. My mom was like a second mother to him, too. He was worried, just like me, but didn't want me to be scared that he was scared. "No." He said. _

_Mrs. Ely stopped, and turned around. "Jake…" She warned, but he shook his head._

"_No. I'm coming, too. I'm not leaving her." He said, angrily. I had never heard him this shook up. He was only 7 then, but he had already decided that he was never going to leave my side._

_Mrs. Ely sensed that he wasn't going to change his mind, so she nodded and ushered us into the backseat of her car. _

_I leaned my little 5-year old head, against his shoulder, as we drove over to my ranch. He still held my left hand, and it felt like we were breathing as one. We were sitting so close to each other, then. Best friends. _

_We pulled up at my house, and together me and Jake walked into my house. Mrs. Ely followed us. _

_As soon as we stepped into the house, Gram wrapped both of us in her arms. "Samantha, honey, please go up to your room for a couple of minutes. I'll come up in a second." _

_I was about to argue, but Jake, being the smart 7-year old, dragged me to my room before I could protest. I sat on my bed, with Horsie on my lap, and Jake sitting __**right **__next to me. Like, right next to me, super close. Neither of us talked, but we held hands, and we knew that both of us were scared. No words were spoken, but even at that age, we didn't have to talk. We knew what each other were thinking._

"_Jake?" I said, quietly, after about 5 minutes. He didn't answer, but glanced up at me. "I'm scared." He pulled me onto his lap, and nodded. He looked like he wasn't able to speak. I leaned against his little but muscular shoulder, and cried. I was scared. _

_After what seemed like forever, but was really only thirty minutes, Daddy called me downstairs. I walked down the steps, my hand wrapped around in Jake's. _

_Daddy kneeled down in front of me, his face tear stained. It was the only time I had __**ever**__ seen him cry, and it's still a vivid memory in my brain. _

"_Samantha." He said, putting his arms on each of my shoulders. He looked into my eyes. "Your mother died in a car crash today." _

"_Died?" I repeated._

_He nodded, and hugged me. "Honey. You deserve to know how she died. So, this is what the police told me. After she dropped you off at Mrs. Ely's house, she was driving to the grocery store. She was going pretty fast, and suddenly she saw a antelope in the middle of the road, and she quickly swerved around so she wouldn't hit it. But…she ran into a tree. And…died." He said, shaking. Tears were running down both of our faces. _

_For at least a week after she died, I didn't talk to anybody. Not Dad, not Gram, not even Jake. I was in shock. The funeral was held a week after she had died. I went with Gram, because daddy had gone earlier to make sure the flowers were ready._

_I remember sitting in the backseat, with Horsie (before he was named Ace) and staring out the window, crying. I was wearing a white summer dress with my white Mary Jane's. _

_We approached the big white church, with the cross on top. It had big brass doors, with crosses as handles. We walked in. It was packed, but the first row was taken by dad and dad alone. I sat in the second row with Gram, and waited for people to come. _

_The Ely's arrived next. I saw Mr. and Mrs. Ely sit in the third row, their kids following them. Kit, Bryan, Nate, Quinn, Seth, and Adam sat next to their parents. Jake followed them, and then at the last moment, chose to sit next to me. _

_I was happy, and squeezed his hand, as soon as he sat down. He glanced at me, and then averted his eyes. _

_Once everyone was settled in the church, the funeral began. _

_-flashback over-_

I sat up, sweat beads forming on my forehead. I gasped, and laid back down.

I didn't remember a lot about the funeral, because in the middle of it, I had to leave. I couldn't stand it anymore. So, Jake took me outside, and we sat on the white bench outside of the church.

When I remember how close Jake and I were after my mom died, it made me blush. It brought us closer together, and we understood each other completely. Suddenly, I didn't feel very well. I sat back on my bed, and decided to take a nap.

_Just a short one_, I told myself, as I drifted into a restless sleep.

_**Authors Note:**_

_**Did you like it? Well, if you did, please review! (; Ugh, this chapter is long overdue. But it took me a long time to write. I wrote half of it yesterday, and half today. It would have been up sooner, but I had killeeerrrr cramps ALL day. Finally, they went away and I was able to write this. I hoped you enjoyed! (;**_

_**IF YOU READ THIS CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON! Virtual brownies if you do! (; **_

_**Xoxo, **_

_**Jul. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Hey everyone. I just wanted to quickly say, this chapter is really short. But it does settle a few things. Sorry for the short chapter, but Chapter 5 will be up soon. Oh, and thanks for some of the reviews. They really do mean a lot to me. Anyway, read up. **_

_Sunkissed Chapter 4_

It felt like I had just fallen asleep, when I awoke again. It wasn't gram, or my alarm clock, that had woke me up. No, it was a loud neigh coming from outside my window. I would recognize that neigh anywhere! I shot up in bed, and glanced at the window. I was surprised to see it was already dark outside. I glanced at my clock. It read 2:13 A.M.

"Oh, God," I groaned. I fell asleep, and completely missed dinner. Gram probably told Dad not to bother me. I slid off my bed, making sure Ace was situated on my pillow. My eyes felt tight and puffy from crying. But that wasn't going to keep me from seeing my horse.

I slipped my socked feet into my boots, and looked at myself in my mirror. I was still in my jeans and sweatshirt that I had fallen asleep in. And I was right; my eyes were red and swollen. I cautiously crept to my door, and opened it.

I closed it softly, and started to hesitantly descend the stairs. The third step creaked, and I quickly stopped. I listened to see if anybody was coming, but I didn't hear anything. I quickly hurried outside, and wrapped my sweatshirt around me. It was freezing out. Dad would kill me if he found out I was with Blackie.

I heard another neigh, and I knew it was coming from the river across the road. I ran across the bridge, my boots slapping against the wood. There he was, my beautiful horse, standing on the other side of the river. He was staring at me, with his big eyes. It felt like he was looking through me.

I thought for a second, before rolling up my jeans to my knees, and wading into the water. The current was strong, but I had to get to the other side. I swam, and Blackie met me halfway. He plunged into the water, his muscles moving smoothly.

"Zanzibar…" I whispered. His ears picked up, and I rubbed my hand over his muzzle. He looked at me, and then tossed his head like _'get on.'_

I did. I pulled myself up on his back. My jeans were soaking, but I pushed my heels into his side and he took off galloping. I buried my face into his mane, and held on as tight as I could. He turned into such a magical horse, after he ran away. But he still remembered me.

It felt like I was flying, and I knew I practically was. This was the only thing that could make me feel better, after my fight with Jen. All too soon, he stopped and I realized we were home.

I slid off his back, and hugged him. I was even more freezing now, seeing as my jeans were soaking wet. I hoped I wouldn't get sick. I kissed him on his muzzle, and quietly slipped over the bridge. I heard loud footsteps behind me, and swung around. He was following me.

"Zanzibar! No, you can't come here! They'll hear you." I whispered. I hugged myself for warmth, and started walking again. I realized, when I turned around again, he hadn't been following me. But now, he was standing by the corral.

"Zanzibar?" I asked, softly. He swiveled his head around to look at me, then took another few steps toward the paddock. He nickered loudly. "Zanzibar! Please be quiet!" I said, frozen in my tracks. Had Dad or gram heard?

Why was Blackie so interested in the corral? The only horse in it was Sunkissed, and Sweetheart. Sweetheart was the only horse that Sunkissed trusted. Blackie nickered again, and this time he was greeted by another neigh.

What was going on? Sunkissed trotted to the edge of the corral, and stuck her head out. She stretched until her muzzle met Zanzibar's muzzle.

A sudden thought hit me. They knew each other! Sunkissed, a horse that barely trusted anybody, knew the Phantom?

I hurried over to the paddock, and stared in shock. Sunkissed backed up a little, but didn't make any noise. "Zanzibar," I whispered, "Since when do you know Sunny?" I was so confused, more confused than the time Rachel asked me if I ever wore bronzer. Like, what the heck is bronzer?

I rubbed Blackie's muzzle, and scooted closer to him. Maybe, if Sunny saw how much he trusted me, she would trust me too! I sort of doubted it, but it was worth a shot. I remembered my dad telling me to stay away from Sunny. But right now, she didn't look dangerous at all! It was so unfair. She was just standing there calmly, stretching so she could reach Blackie.

"Hi there, Sunkissed," I said, reaching out my hand. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. Then, calmly, she turned her head. I felt her breath on my fingertips, as she sniffed my hand. It tickled, and I couldn't help but giggle. I reached out, and patted her head. She squealed, and moved her head.

Woops. Okay, no sudden movement. Finally, after staring at me for a while longer, she turned her head back and let me pet her. I couldn't help but feel proud. Yesterday, she wouldn't let me near her at all. Today, I could pet her. But I still had to figure out the mystery of how she got here.

But I could deal with that tomorrow. I yawned. "Night, Zanzibar!" I whispered, kissing his muzzle again. "Night Sunny," I patted her. I walked back to the house, and when I turned around Blackie was gone.

I hurried up the steps. I could have sworn I saw a light on in my dad's room, but it was just from the moon. I pushed open my door, and changed into clean pajamas. I was freezing, but I wrapped myself in blankets, and dreamed of Blackie.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Sorry I haven't uploaded since like, summer. School's been craaaaazy. I also updated my 3 other stories tonight! Im proud I wrote 4 chapters, a chapter for each fanfiction! (; So check them out. Hope you liked this chappy, and ppppllllleeassse review. I want 10 reviews before the next chapter. Is that too hard to ask? XD**_

_**Xoxo,**_

_**Jul.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **_

_**Hey. This is a long and useless chapter. But oh well, it has some Sake in it. It's pretty useless…except for the SAKE. I spent a while writing it, though. So read up, and don't forget to review. Enjoy! (; MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_

_Sunkissed Chapter 5_

"Rise and shine." A familiar voice said.

I pulled my pillow over my eyes, and mumbled something unintelligent. No, I just went to bed. My alarm clock was probably broken or something.

"Sam, time to get up," The voice said, again. I was between consciousness, and falling asleep. Who was waking me up now? It wasn't even morning yet. I needed to unplug my alarm clock.

"Samantha! Get up," The voice said, as it tried to pull me up. Without thinking, I punched the voice in the chest. I sighed contently, as the person stopped talking. "God, it's just me, Sam!" The voice continued, sounding annoyed.

Then the voice clicked somewhere in my brain, and I shot up. "Jake?" I mumbled, confused.

"Yes!" He said. Once my eyes focused, I could see him. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, in jeans and a flannel shirt, with his Stetson, pulled down over his eyes. I was about to ask him what he was doing in my room, but he read my mind. "Your dad asked me to get you up."

I looked at my window, and saw it was already light out. "What time is it?" I muttered. I sat back on my bed, pushing my covers off me, and leaning on my fluffy pillows.

"About 10:00. You slept in." He said, staring at me. I was suddenly aware of my appearance. I had red, puffy eyes from crying, and my auburn hair was a mess. Plus I was in a tank top, and plaid boxer pajama shorts. Not to mention my morning breath. Oh, god. I didn't want Jake to see me like this! Even if he was my best friend. I yanked the covers up over me. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Huh?" I asked. "Can I have five more minutes?" I asked, pouting my bottom lip.

Jake rolled his eyes, but surprisingly said, "Fine. You are definitely not a morning person."

I closed my eyes, and held stuffed Ace. I could feel Jake looking at me, and it was awkward, but I didn't open my eyes. They were too heavy. Within 2 minutes, I was fast asleep.

Three minutes later, Jake said, "Sam. Your 5 minutes are up! Man, you fall asleep fast." He poked me on my arm. I opened one eye.

"Two more minutes," I said. He poked me again.

"If you get up now, you can watch me ride Sunkissed." He said, knowing that would get me up. It did. I opened both of my eyes, and suddenly last night's events came flooding back to me. I had to tell Jake about the Phantom and Sunkissed!

"Omigod, I have to tell you something!" I yelped.

He looked at me, and said, "You can tell me, after you get up! You better be down in ten minutes, or I'm coming back up here." He said. He poked me again, and then left before I could protest.

I sighed, and slid myself out of bed. I quickly took a shower, and then pulled on an emerald green oversized tee-shirt. I grabbed jean shorts, and put them on along with my boots. I made sure to put my horse bracelet on, but kept my friendship bracelet on the table instead of putting it on, like I normally do. I combed my hair, and made sure to dry it. Then, I hurried downstairs, waved at gram, and rushed outside. 

_**-JAKE'S POV-**_

Wyatt nodded at me, as I entered the stable. "Would you do me a favor, Jake?" He asked. Me, thinking it had something to do with Sunkissed, said sure. "Can you please go wake Sam up for me? She had a big night last night." He rolled his eyes, and before I could say anything, he walked away.

What did he mean; she had a big night last night? I sighed and put down the saddle I was cleaning, and then washed my hands. Then I headed into the house. Gram was standing by the sink, cleaning the dishes.

"Oh, good morning, Jake," She said, smiling. "How are you? How's Maxine?" She put a bowl in a cabinet, and continued smiling at Jake.

"Good and she's fine. Thanks." I said. "Uh, I'm just going to go wake up Sam, now." I said, uncomfortably.

Gram chuckled. "Careful, she's in rare form."

What did that mean? Why were old people so confusing? "Uh, thanks." I said. I climbed the stairs, and knocked on her door. She didn't answer, so I walked in. Shutting the door behind me, I sat down on her bed. She was sound asleep. I couldn't help but grin.

"Rise and shine." I said, smirking. She pulled her pillow over her eyes, and muttered something that I couldn't understand. She rolled over, the pillow still over her face. I grinned.

"Sam, time to get up," How did she normally get up? It would take a bulldozer to wake her up. "Samantha! Get up," I was getting annoyed. I grabbed her arms, and tried to pull her up. She unconsciously balled up her fist, and punched my chest.

It didn't hurt, luckily. She wasn't as strong as me. "God, it's just me, Sam!" I yelled, angrily.

She shot up. "Jake?" She mumbled.

"Yes!" She was looking at me like I was crazy. I knew what she was thinking. "Your dad asked me to get you up." I added.

"What time is it?" She muttered, shoving the covers off herself, and sitting back against the pillows.

"About 10:00. You slept in." I couldn't help but stare at her. She was wearing a tight tank top, and plaid pajama shorts. I had never seen her in anything, but tee-shirts. She had curves that I had never noticed before. And her body was fuller. When had she grown up? I made my eyes stop staring at her body, and stared at her face. She looked awful! Her eyes were puffy like she had been crying all night. Who did this to her? I wondered if it was a boy. Because if it was a boy, then I would kill them! Her hair looked cute though, it was scrunched up, and bed-tossed. _Oh, god. Stop thinking of her like that, she's only your best friend,_ I thought.

"Are you okay?" I asked, softly.

She widened her eyes, as if she just remembered how she looked. A red blush covered her cheeks. She pulled the covers up over her. "Huh?" She asked, even though she knew exactly what I was talking about. "Can I have five more minutes?" She said, changing the subject.

Surprising myself, I said, "Fine. You are definitely not a morning person," I smirked. She closed her eyes, and hugged her stuffed horse close to her. I remembered that horse! She used to bring it everywhere with her. I watched her, as she slept. She really did look pretty, older. Her cheeks were slimmer, and her lips fuller. _Jake, _I thought, _stop staring at her!_ _Sure, I just noticed how pretty she was, but she was still the same Sam. _

I glanced at the clock, and saw the five minutes were already up. I hated waking her up, because she looked so peaceful, but I said, "Sam, your 5 minutes are up! Man, you fall asleep fast." I poked her on the arm. She opened one eye.

"Two more minutes," She said, closing both of her eyes. I poked her.

"If you get up now, you can watch me ride Sunkissed." I said. I knew that would get her up. She was fascinated by Sunny.

Both of her eyes opened, and she quickly sat up. "Omigod, I have to tell you something!" She yelped, her eyes wide.

I wondered what she had to say. But this was the only way I was going to get her up, so I had to use my chance. "You can tell me, after you get up! You better be down in ten minutes, or I'm coming back up here." I poked her again, and walked out of her room.

I headed outside, and to Sunkissed stall. But I couldn't get the image of Sam in her bed out of my mind.

_**-Sam's POV-**_

"Wow, Jake! She looks really great!" I said, rushing outside. He was already in the corral, trotting her around. I hurried over to the corral, and pulled myself up on the fence. I sat, my legs dangling off the edge.

I watched as Jake trotted her around in a circle. She looked really great, like a different horse.

He nodded at me, and pushed his legs into her sides. She broke out in a canter. It was amazing! Her stride was perfect, not too bouncy, or too fast.

"Wow," I breathed. She looked beautiful. After a few more laps around, Jake came to a halt.

"Doesn't she look good?" He asked, rubbing Sunny's neck.

I nodded, speechless. "She's amazing! I never would have thought, I mean, she's like perfect…" I said.

"So what did you want to tell me, again?" He reminded me.

My eyes widened. "Oh! Okay, so last night-"

"Samantha!" Gram called from inside. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes?" I screamed back. Gram came out of the house.

"Let's go." She said. She untied her apron, and gestured for me to hurry. I glanced back at Jake, and saw he was as confused as I was.

"Gram, go where?" I asked, honestly confused. She never mentioned anything about going anywhere. She must be losing it…

"Well, school starts in two days so I thought I could take you shopping for some school clothes!" She seemed excited, but my mouth was in a perfect O. "No excuses, honey. Go get in the car. Let me just grab my purse…" She walked back in the house.

I glanced at Jake to save me, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"See you later." He said, hopping back on Sunkissed. I glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. I climbed into the car, drumming my fingers against my bare thighs. A few seconds later, Gram climbed into the car.

"Let's go, honey!" She said, sounding very excited. I fake-smiled, and turned out the window. I was dreading this. I knew Gram would want to take me shopping at some point, but I didn't think it would happen so soon…

"Gram, are you sure? I mean, I still have some clothes from Aunt Sue, and she sent me a lot of other stuff, too…" I said, trying desperately to talk her out of it, before we left the ranch. She looked at me out of the corner of her mouth, and smiled.

"Hon, we both know you would never wear something Aunt Sue bought you." I couldn't help but grin at how true this was. She saw the look on my face and touched my hair. "You're going to be a sophomore this year, and all you wear is t-shirts. You should dress a little bit more…high school-ish, honey…"

I stared out the window, at the passing trees. Finally, after considering it for a while I said, "Maybe…" Even though I was only saying that so she would leave me alone.

But I could tell I pleased her, because she grinned. "Great!"

Normally, whenever I went shopping (which wasn't very often) Jen came with me. She was much more fashionable than me, even if that was hard to believe. She had a great sense of style. And she was smart, and…_stop,_ I thought. I should really stop thinking about Jen!

We pulled into the mall parking lot, and gram practically dragged me to the juniors section. As soon as we stepped in, she went ballistic.

"Oh My Goodness, they have so many cute things this year! And, honey, after this we can check Hollister, and Abercrombie, and Aeropostale! This is so exciting!"

How does Gram even know about those brands? I hate those brands! That's what Rachel and her snooty friends wear. Grams chose way too many shirts, skirts, shorts, and jeans. I had to stop her before she forced me to try all that on.

"Gram, do you mind if I shop by myself for a while? You can pick out some things for me if you want." I said, hopefully.

Gram nodded, happily. "Sure honey! Go choose some cute clothes!" I quickly scurried away from her.

I found a really cute t-shirt that said _Make Tea, Not War_ with a teapot on it. It was beyond cute! I grabbed it of the rack. Then, I grabbed a plain white long sleeved tee. It was pretty nice. Then I picked out a simple pair of dark-washed skinny jeans. That's all I needed.

Thirty minutes later, I found Gram in the middle of Hollister (I couldn't _stand_ that store!) and I showed her my purchases.

"Honey, don't you want a nice skirt, or dress?" She asked. And be like _Rachel_? No thank you…

"I think I'm fine. I really do have extra clothes from Aunt Sue, that aren't too bad."

Gram slowly nodded, "Alright then. Want to head to the food court before we leave?"

"Sure, I'm hungry." I said eagerly. I just wanted to get home, so I could tell Jake about Sunkissed and the Phantom.

I followed her to the food court. "I'm going to go get in line at the salad place, honey. You can get what you want." She handed me a ten dollar bill. I nodded, and headed over to Pizza Palace.

I stood in line, waiting to order when someone tapped me from behind. I figured it was Gram, so I wheeled around.

Rachel was standing behind me, smirking, with Daisy close behind her.

"Hello, Samantha." She said, in her British accent that made me sick. She smirked, probably at my shocked expression. I didn't know why I was shocked, though. Rachel spent every waking moment at the mall.

"Hey." I said, turning back around to the counter. She cleared her throat.

"What _are_ you wearing?" Daisy asked her eyes wide.

"What are _you_ wearing?" I asked Daisy. She wasn't the brightest person in the world…

Daisy's face practically glowed. There was only one thing she loved more than insulting me; talking about her clothes. "Oh! Isn't this skirt amazing? It's a one of a kind skirt, from a Japanese company. And this shirt is called a Passigatti Tunic. Isn't that cute? And then my shoes are Calpso St. Barth designer peep-toes. They were $250. Don't you love them?" She bragged.

Her outfit looked ridiculous. Her skirt was light pink with little ruffles that matched her purple tunic. And her silver peep toes complemented her entire outfit, and made her look stylish.

"You look great." I lied. She beamed.

Rachel cleared her throat. "I picked that outfit out, just so you know…" She said, fluffing her mocha colored hair.

Daisy nodded eagerly, and put her arm around Rachel's waist. "She's amazing! You should have her pick out an outfit for you."

I smirked. Well, now I know how to get on Daisy's good side. All you have to do is listen to her rant about her outfit, that say you like it.

Rachel glared at Daisy. "Actually, I'm a little bit busy for that." She said. "I don't help cowgirls."

Daisy seemed to remember whose side she was on. "Me either."

I turned back around. I was almost ready to order.

"So, Samantha," Rachel started, "How's that hot cowboy Jake doing? He's one cowboy that I _would _help."

I've never heard anyone say Jake was hot. I wheeled around. "What?" I gasped.

Daisy laughed, covering her mouth with her purple painted fingers. "You know that hot guy that you always hang around with?"

Yes, I knew him. But why did they want to know how he was?

"Yea…he's um…fine…" I quickly ordered a cheese pizza, and turned to look at Daisy and Rachel.

"He's so hot!" Daisy said, pretend fanning her face. "I wish I could go out with him. But Rachel already has dibs." She said, turning to Rachel. "Right, Rach?"

Rachel smirked. "Yup, he's all mine, sorry Dee." She must have seen my shocked expression, because she said, "Oh, Samantha. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how hot Jake is?"

I shook my head, and stared at her. "No, I don't really think so…"

Daisy's jaw dropped. "What's wrong with you?"

"I guess we just have different choices of boys?" I said, awkwardly.

Rachel jumped in. "Oh well. Even if you do like him, it's too late. By this time tomorrow, he'll be my boy friend."

I smirked. Jake would never go out with her, I knew that. "You wish." I said. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"No, _you _wish." Daisy argued. Rachel turned and glared at her.

"Okay, Daisy that was the _lamest_ comeback ever!" Rachel said, annoyed.

I wanted to get away from this freak show.

"Anyway, why are you here Sam?" Rachel asked, turning back to me.

"Oh, well last time I checked this is a mall…where you shop. So obviously I'm here to shop." I rolled my eyes, and picked up my tray. I saw Gram, sitting down at a table. I held up a finger, to tell her I'd only be a minute.

"Well, last time I checked…you don't shop." Rachel said. Daisy laughed, and slung her arm around Rachel.

"And where's that blonde girl you always hang around with?" Daisy asked, suspiciously. 

"It's a public place. I'm allowed to shop. And she couldn't come…" I said, starting to walk away.

"So, you decided to come with your _grandma_?" Rachel pretend gasped, and she and Daisy busted out laughing. "Well, I bet she has better fashion sense than the blonde girl."

I ignored them, and walked back to where Gram was sitting. "Hey." I said, placing down my tray, and sitting down.

"Hi, honey. How are Rachel Slocum and her friend doing?" She asked, and I could have sworn I saw an eye roll.

I grinned, "Annoying as usual. They were just talking about how hot they think Jake is." As soon as I said it, a blush came over my cheeks. Why did I just say that?

Gram only rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Well, he is getting more handsome. Those girls are always up to something." I gaped.

"Daisy, her friend, just kept bragging about her outfit. It's funny how she doesn't have a life. She just follows Rachel around everywhere."

"Now, Samantha," Gram warned, but I saw a twinkle in her eyes. "Daisy's outfit is cute!"

I snorted, very un-ladylike. "Yep, and a thousand bucks."

As soon as I got home, I looked for Jake. But he had already gone home for the day. I sighed, and pulled my shopping bag over my shoulder. "Thanks, Gram." I said, getting out of the car. The whole ride home, I couldn't stop thinking about how Rachel thought Jake was hot. He wasn't! He was just plain, old Jake! What was so special about him?

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw dad for the first time that day. I smiled and waved.

"Hey," I said, grinning. He didn't smile back. I slammed the car door shut.

"Samantha, can I talk to you?"

_**Author's Note:**_

_**So, both of them realized how pretty/handsome the other person was. But, why was the Dad so upset? Cliffhangers! (; This took a while, even though it was just some random fluff. I find Rachel and Daisy really funny, I don't know why. Please review, tell me what you thought. I love hearing your ideas, so don't hesitate to comment. BTW Sam's High School starts in 2 days, so it should be fun writing about her school. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was fluff. Next chapter should be up tomorrow. REVIEW! (;**_

_**Xoxo,**_

_**Jul (;**_


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